Pyrene-containing peptide-based fluorescent organogels: inclusion of graphene into the organogel

The N-terminally pyrene-conjugated oligopeptide, Py-Phe-Phe-Ala-OMe, (Py=pyrene 1-butyryl acyl) forms transparent, stable, supramolecular fluorescent organogels in various organic solvents. One of these organogels was thoroughly studied using various techniques including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and rheology. Unfunctionalized and non-oxidized graphene was successfully incorporated into this fluorescent organogel in o-dichlorobenzene (ODCB) to form a stable hybrid organogel. Graphene is well dispersed into the gel medium by using non-covalent π-π stacking interactions with the pyrene-conjugated gelator peptide. In the presence of graphene, the minimum gelation concentration (mgc) of the hybrid organogel was lowered significantly. This suggests that there is a favorable interaction between the graphene and the gelator peptide within the hybrid organogel system. This hybrid organogel was characterized using TEM, AFM, FTIR, PL, and rheological studies. The TEM study of graphene-containing hybrid organogel revealed the presence of both graphene sheets and entangled gel nanofibers. The AFM study indicated the presence of 3 to 4 layers in exfoliated graphene in ODCB and the presence of both graphene nanosheets and the network of gel nanofibers in the hybrid gel system. The rheological investigation suggested that the flow of the hybrid organogel had become more resistant towards the applied angular frequency upon the incorporation of graphene into the organogel. The hybrid gel is about seven times more rigid than that of the native gel.     

Novel CuS nanofibers using organogel as a template: controlled by binding sites

A new cholesterol organogelator 1 was synthesized, which was confirmed as an effective gelator for various organic solvents and could self-assemble into network fibers in some organic solvents. Moreover, gelator 1 could act as templates for the synthesis of various CuS nanofibers with different helical pitches. For example, when H(2)S was used as the sulfur source, straight and bending helical CuS nanofibers with a pitch of 100-200 nm could be fabricated in butyl acetate and benzene-butanol gel systems, respectively, while bending CuS nanofibers with a similar helical pitch (ca. 50 nm) could be obtained when thioacetamide was used as the sulfur source in both gel systems. It was first found that the morphologies of inorganic nanofibers could be controlled by the binding sites between the inorganic precursor and the organogel.     

Synthesis and Self-assembling of Coumarin-based Low-molecular Weight Organogelators

Four coumarin derivatives(4a―4d) with different alkoxy chains were synthesized. It was found that compound 4d showed a better gelation ability than the other compounds, for example, it could self-assemble into organogels in various organic fluids via ultrasound treatment or heating-cooling process, whereas compound 4c could only gel in a few mixed solvents and compounds 4a, 4b could not form organogel. The results from fluorescent and FT-IR spectra indicate that π-π interaction had an effect on the formatio...     

Organogelation‐Controlled Topochemical [2+2] Cycloaddition and Morphological Changes: From Nanofiber to Peculiar Coaxial Hollow Toruloid‐Like Nanostructures

Novel amphiphilic molecules composed of naphthylacryl and L ‐glutamide moieties (1‐NA and 2‐NA) have been designed and their organogel formation in various organic solvents as well as their self‐assembled nanostructures have been investigated. Both compounds formed organogels in many organic solvents, ranging from nonpolar to polar, and self‐assembled into essentially nanofiber structures, although some twist or belt structures could be observed in certain solvents. A gel of compound 2‐NA in ethanol initially self‐assembled into nanofibers and then these were transformed into a family of coaxial hollow toruloid‐like (CHTL) nanostructures under irradiation, in which various toroids and disks of different sizes were stacked coaxially. We have established that a topochemical [2+2] cycloaddition in the organogel triggers this transformation. When the gel was fabricated into xerogels in which no ethanol remained, such morphological changes could not happen. This might be the first report of an organogel, in which both organized nanofibers and solvent coexist, controlling a topochemical reaction as well as the self‐assembled nanostructures formed. Due to the formation of the toruloid‐like nanostructures, the gel collapsed to a precipitate. However, upon heating this precipitate with ethanol, it redissolved and then formed a gel and self‐assembled into nanofibers once more. Thus, a reversible morphological transformation between nanofibers and an unprecedented series of toruloid‐like nanostructures can be induced by alternately heating and irradiating the gel.     

Organogels from a vitamin C-based surfactant

A new double chained surfactant, 2-octyl-dodecanoyl-6-O-ascorbic acid (8ASC10), with a L-ascorbic acid unit as the polar headgroup was synthesized for the first time. The behavior of the compound in the dry solid state has been characterized through DSC, XRD, and SAXS measurements. The surfactant forms stable viscous organogels in the presence of suitable organic solvents and also water-induced organogels upon addition of water to the organogel. These mixtures show shear-thinning properties and are birefringent. The behavior and properties of the organogels have been studied through rheology, DSC, and SAXS experiments. The organogels possess the same antioxidant properties of the original L-ascorbic acid ring and can be used to solubilize and protect valuable organic molecules.     

溶剂和分子结构对席夫碱分子在有机凝胶中的荧光增强和超分子手性的影响

研究了在有机胶凝剂中掺杂的席夫碱化合物的结构和性质. 实验发现, 虽然席夫碱分子单独不能在有机溶剂中形成凝胶, 当其与一种胶凝剂N,N’-双十八烷基-L-Boc-谷氨酸混合时, 它们在二甲基亚砜或甲苯中形成透明的有机凝胶. 与相应的溶液相比, 观察到在有机凝胶中的荧光增强现象, 并且这一增强与席夫碱的结构有密切关系. 在二甲基亚砜的有机凝胶中, 观察到带有长烷基链的席夫碱具有诱导手性. 表明通过凝胶的形成, 胶凝剂的手性能传递到带有长链的席夫碱上.     

Effect of Solvent and Molecular Structure on the Enhanced Fluorescence and Supramolecular Chirality of Schiff Bases in Organogels

The structures and properties of some Schiff base compounds doped in organogels were investigated. It was found that although individual Schiff bases could not form organogels with organic solvents, they can gel by mixing with an organogelator, N,N′-bisoctadecyl-L-Boc-glutamic-diamide, which formed transparent organogels in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or toluene (Tol). The enhancement of doping Schiff bases fluorescence in the organogel was observed in comparison with that of the corresponding solution. Furthermore, in the DMSO organogel, the induced chirality was obtained from the doping Schiff base with long alkyl chain. In contrast, the Schiff bases without long alkyl chain could not form supramolecular chiral assemblies in organogel. It was suggested that through gel formation the chirality of the gelator could be transferred to the Schiff base through hydrophobic interaction among the long alkyl chains.     

Self-assembly fibrillar network gels of simple surfactants in organic solvents

The self-assembled fibrillar network (SAFIN) organogels of a simple surfactant molecule, sodium laurate (C(11)H(23)COONa, SL), in organic solvents were investigated. The sol-gel transformation temperature depended on the SL concentration, the solvent, and the concentration of Na(+) was evaluated. An important finding is that Na(+) ions play an important role in forming organogels, which was regarded as the induction factor of gelation, but other cations, for instance, Li(+), K(+), Ca(2+), and Mg(2+), do not have this capability. The observations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) proved that the organogels were network structures with fibers and ribbons by trapping a certain amount of organic solvent. High-resolution TEM (HR-TEM) images indicated that each of the fibers or ribbons was composed of cylindrical micelles. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra demonstrated that SL molecules in gels behave similarly to those in SL crystals. The mechanism of organogel formation was elaborated to provide a better understanding of fibrous surfactant gels in organic solvents.     

Hydrogel behavior of a sugar-based gelator by introduction of an unsaturated moiety as a hydrophobic group

The new sugar-based gelators 1 and 2 were synthesized, and their gelation abilities were evaluated in organic solvents and in water. Compound 1 gelates both water and organic solvents whereas 2 gelates only organic solvents. Superstructural difference between hydrogel 1 and organogel 2 was investigated by CD, TEM, AFM, 1H NMR and XRD. Hydrogel 1 displays a well-developed helical ribbon structure with 20-150 nm diameter and a length of several hundred microm whereas organogel 2 shows a twisted fiber structure of diameter 20 nm. CD measurements of hydrogel 1 and organogel 2 indicate that hydrogel 1 maintains a well-ordered chiral structure whereas organogel 2 maintains a relatively disordered chiral structure. The 1H NMR and XRD results suggest that the hydrophobic interaction in hydrogel 1 are relatively weak, with a relatively small region interdigitated between lipophilic alkyl groups. In addition, upon irradiation at 254 nm wavelength, hydrogel 1 reveals a red coloration at 540 nm. These results indicate that the self-assembled hydrogel 1 was polymerized by UV-irradiation. The intensity of the CD spectrum of the polymerized hydrogel markedly decreased. This result indicates that upon polymerization the highly ordered chiral structure of hydrogel 1 changes to a disordered molecular packing structure.     

Quater-, quinque-, and sexithiophene organogelators: unique thermochromism and heating-free sol-gel phase transition

A series of quater-, quinque-, and sexithiophene derivatives bearing two cholesteryl groups at the alpha-position, which are abbreviated as 4 T-(chol)(2), 5 T-(chol)(2), and 6 T-(chol)(2), respectively, have been synthesized. It has been found that these oligothiophene derivatives act as excellent organogelators for various organic fluids and show the unique thermochromic behaviors through the sol-gel phase transition. It was shown on the basis of extensive investigations, performed with UV-visible spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), that these gelators self-assemble into the one-dimensional structures in the organogels, in which the pi-block moieties of the oligothiophenes are stacked in an H-aggregation mode. Surprisingly, an AFM image shows that 4 T-(chol)(2) forms unimolecular fibers in a left-handed helical sense, whereby one pitch of the helical fiber is constructed by 400-540 4 T-(chol)(2) molecules. Very interestingly, the conformational change in the oligothiophene moieties can be visually detected: for example, 6 T-(chol)(2) shows a specific absorption maximum in the gel (lambda(max) = 389 nm) and in the solution (lambda(max) = 439 nm). In addition, a sol-gel phase transition of the 6 T-(chol)(2) gel was implemented by addition of oxidizing and reducing reagents such as FeCl(3) and ascorbic acid, respectively. The stimuli-responsive functionality of the oligothiophene-based organogels makes them promising candidates for switchable opto- and electronic soft materials.     

2,3-di-n-decyloxy-6,7-dichloroanthracene (Cl2DDOA), a new low-molecular-mass fluorescent organogelator: physical properties and structures

To extend the family of 2,3-didecyloxyanthracene (DDOA, 1), an organogelator having a rodlike shape, a high polarity, and fluorescing properties, the 6,7-dichloro derivative (Cl2DDOA, 2), was designed and prepared. Compound 2 forms gels in alcohols, nitriles, and alkanes. The electronic absorption spectra of the gel show a finer structure than those of the isotropic solutions, pointing to a specific degree of packing of the molecules; such an aggregation mode is also supported by fluorescence data. The gel-to-sol temperatures (Tm) were determined as a function of gelator concentration and the corresponding enthalpies (DeltaHm) were extracted. Scattering experiments have shown that the molecular packing in aggregates of 2 organogels is less reminiscent of the crystalline state than was the situation with DDOA gels. 2 organogels in butanol are made up of 120 A radius fibers much thinner than those observed in DDOA gels (r ca. 300 A) and with rather monodisperse cross sections. In 1-octanol, dodecane, or cyclohexane, the fibrillar organogel networks involve a broader distribution of the related cross sections through anisometric sections of the fibers and/or formation of bundles.     

Gelation of a Highly Fluorescent Urea‐Containing Triarylmelamine Derivative: 2,4,6‐Tris(p‐N′‐Octadecylureido‐Anilino)Triazine in Organic Solvents

A new gelator of urea‐containing triazine derivatives was synthesized and tested in order to explore the gelation potential in different organic solvents. This compound has been found to form organogels with a variety of organic solvents such as decalin and other solvents. The resulting thermo‐reversible gel was characterized by using the dropping ball method and a number of other instruments. The melting temperature of the gel increased with the gel concentration. The intermolecular hydrogen bonding of gelation was demonstrated through an FT‐IR spectrometer. UV‐Vis and fluorescence analysis showed that the gel displayed various optical effects in different organic solvents. The blue fluorescence of the gel in decalin and the quenched effect of gel in CHCl³ were displayed, respectively. Morphological features in decalin and CHCl₃ were studied by applying atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the morphological features demonstrated that there were different aggregations in different solvents. In conductivity electrolyte experiments, the organogel electrolytes indicated high conductivity (σ) comparable to the corresponding NaClO₄/THF solution. The conductivity of gel electrolytes was increased with electrolyte salt.     

A Synthetic Amino Acid Residue Containing A New Oligopeptide‐Based Photosensitive Fluorescent Organogel

A synthetic amino acid (with a stilbene residue in the main chain) containing a tripeptide‐based organogelator has been discovered. This peptide‐based synthetic molecule 1 self‐assembles in various organic solvents to form an organogel. The gel has been thoroughly characterized by using various microscopic techniques including field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), UV‐visible and fluorescence spectroscopy, and rheology. Morphological investigations using FESEM and AFM show a nanofibrillar network structure. Interestingly, the organogel is photoresponsive and a gel–sol transition occurred by irradiating the gel with UV light of 365 nm for 2 h as shown by the UV and fluorescence study. This photoresponsive fluorescent gel holds promise for new peptide‐based soft materials with interesting applications.     

Phosphorescent organogels via "metallophilic" interactions for reversible RGB-color switching

A trinuclear Au(I) pyrazolate complex bearing long alkyl chains (1) in hexane self-assembles via a Au(I)-Au(I) metallophilic interaction, to form a red-luminescent organogel (lambda(em) = 640 nm, lambda(ext) = 284 nm). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of an air-dried gel with 1 show the presence of heavily entangled fibers, each consisting of a rectangularly packed columnar assembly of 1. Doping of the organogel with a small amount of Ag(+) results in a blue luminescence (lambda(em) = 458 nm, lambda(ext) = 370 nm) without disruption of the gel, while removal of doped Ag(+) with cetyltrimethylammonium chloride results in complete recovery of the original red-luminescent gel. Upon heating, these organogels undergo gel-to-sol transition due to the destabilization of the metallophilic interactions, where the red luminescence of the nondoped system becomes hardly visible, while the blue luminescence of the Ag(+)-doped system turns green (lambda(em) = 501 nm, lambda(ext) = 370 nm). On cooling, these solutions undergo gelation and synchronously recover the original luminescences. The observed RGB (red-green-blue) luminescences are all long-lived (3-6 micros) and assigned to electronic transitions from triplet-excited states.     

Noncovalent Macromolecular Architectures of Oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)s (OPVs): Role of End Functional Groups on the Gelation of Organic Solvents

Summary: Self-assembly of a few OPV derivatives having different end functional groups to aggregates, fibrous networks and organogels are discussed. OPV1 and OPV2 functionalized with ester moieties form gels in nonpolar hydrocarbon solvents whereas OPV3 with carboxylic acid groups form gel from THF and dichloromethane. OPV4 with dicyano moieties form aggregates but could not gelate solvents. AFM and TEM studies revealed considerable difference in the morphology of the self-assembled structures of OPV1-4 . From the optical, morphological and gelation data it is concluded that the nature of the end functional groups strongly influences upon the self-assembly and gelation properties of OPVs.     

多重环境刺激响应性聚苄醚型树状分子凝胶制备及性能研究

环境刺激响应性超分子凝胶材料在传感器、光开关、人工触角、药物缓释等领域表现出潜在的应用前景。本文设计合成了一种新型的核心含偶氮苯官能团聚苄醚型树枝状分子凝胶因子CA-G2。成胶性能测试表明,该凝胶因子在23种有机溶剂和混合溶剂中均可以形成稳定的淡黄色凝胶,其中在苯中表现出最优的成凝胶性能,临界成胶浓度(CGC)可达2.0mg/mL(0.23(wt)%),相当于一个树枝状分子可以固定1.5×10⁴个溶剂分子,表明该凝胶因子具有非常优异的成凝胶性能。并且,该类凝胶材料能够同时对热、超声和触变等外界环境刺激产生响应,并伴随着宏观上凝胶-溶胶的相互转变。此外,该类凝胶对罗丹明B染料分子具有优异的吸附性能,吸附效率高达96.7%。     

Structure and rheology of reverse micelles in dipentaerythrityl tri-(12-hydroxystearate)/oil systems

We report the formation of reverse rod-like micelles and their rheological properties in novel nonionic surfactant, dipentaerythrityl tri-(12-hydroxystearate) (designated as WO-6)/oil systems without external water addition. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was used to investigate the structure of the micelles and their flow properties were studied by rheological measurements. We found that WO-6 spontaneously self-assembles into reverse micelles in a variety of organic solvents at ambient conditions, their structure depending on solvent molecular architecture, surfactant concentration, and temperature. Rod-like micelles with a maximum length of ca. 12 nm and a cross section diameter of ca. 2 nm were observed in cyclohexane. When cyclohexane was replaced with a linear chain octane, the length and the cross section diameter were simultaneously increased. With a further increase of hydrocarbon chain length of solvent oils from octane to hexadecane, the rod-like micelles grew axially, keeping the cross section diameter (ca. 3 nm) virtually constant. Increasing surfactant concentration also favored one-dimensional micellar growth. On the other hand, micelles shrunk with the rise of temperature, which is similar to a rod-to-sphere transition, and is essentially the opposite temperature dependence to that often observed in aqueous micellar systems. A structural picture drawn by SAXS is well supported by rheology; the relative (zero-shear) viscosity of the WO-6/oil systems was found to be markedly greater than that expected for a dispersion of spherical particles due to the elongated micellar structure, despite quantitative inconsistency with semi-empirically predicted values for rigid rod-like particles.     

Water-induced physical gelation of organic solvents by N-(n-alkylcarbamoyl)-L-alanine amphiphiles

A series of amino acid-based gelators N-(n-alkylcarbamoyl)-L-alanine were synthesized, and their gelation abilities in a series of organic solvents were tested. No gelation was observed in pure solvents employed. All the amphiphilic molecules were found to form stable organogels in the solvents in the presence of a small amount of water, methanol, or urea. The volume of solvent gelled by a given amount of the gelator was observed to depend upon the volume of added water. The gelation behavior of the amphiphiles in a given solvent containing a known volume of water was compared. The effects of chirality and substitution on the acid group on the gelation ability were examined. Although the corresponding N-(n-tetradecylcarbamoyl)-DL-alanine was found to form only weak organogel in pure solvents, the achiral amphiphilic compound N-(n-tetradecylcarbamoyl)-β-alanine, however, did not form gel in the absence of water. The methyl ester of N-(n-tetradecylcarbamoyl)-L-alanine was also observed to form gels in the same solvents, but only in the presence of water. The organogels were characterized by several techniques, including (1)H NMR, Fourier transform IR, X-ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The thermal and rheological properties of the organogels were studied. The mechanical strength of the organogel formed by N-(n-tetradecylcarbamoyl)-DL-alanine was observed to increase upon the addition of water. It was concluded that water-mediated intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interaction between amphiphiles caused formation of supramolecular self-assemblies.